Comments: Last year, Blyth changed its annual reporting period from January 31 to Dec. 31, so these results reflect an 11-monthperiod. Net sales increased approximately 20%, due to increases within the direct selling (78% of sales) and wholesale segments.

Direct sales rose 26% to $690 million due to greater demand for ViSalus and a jump from 8000 promoters to 59,000. PartyLite’s net sales fell nearly 10% to $462 million due to a 22% drop in the US business. The decline was blamed on an 11% decline in the number of PartyLite’s active US representatives. PartyLite’s European sales fell 4% due to lower sales in Germany, France and the UK. The number of European sales consultants, fell 4%. PartyLite Europe represented approximately 61% of PartyLite’s worldwide net sales.

Net sales in the catalog and internet segment (15% of sales) fell 1% to about $137 million, while net sales in the wholesale segment (7% of sales), increased 14% to nearly $61 million. That gain was attributed to Sterno price increases.

For the first quarter ended March 31, 2012, sales soared more than 50% to $283 million and the company reported net income of $11 million, compared to a loss of $833,000 the previous year. The direct sales unit reported an 82% increase in sales to $236 million. Sales within the catalog and internet unit fell 9% to nearly $34 million.

In May, Blyth announced a two-for-one stock split, which increased its total shares outstanding to 17.2 million. Blyth shares rose from the mid-30s in 2011 to a high of $90 before dropping to $70 a share at press time.

There aren’t any major surprises in The International Top 30, our 28th annual ranking of the biggest companies in the household and personal products industry with headquarters outside the US. Unilever remains No. 1 and L’Oréal No.…

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